REVIEW:
Sequels seldom live up to the original, especially when the original is an epic, timeless piece like the original "Once Upon A Time in China". Of course there are exceptions (Terminator 2 and Drunken Master II come to mind). While OUATIC II certainly does not have the impact of the original, it is a worthy successor that deserves to sit right next to the original OUATIC in any fan's collection.

Much like the original "One Upon A Time In China", the focus in this sequel is again on the storytelling before the action. The dual plotline is weaved fairly, with both major struggles being given a decent balance. If you appreciated the way all the subplots were dealt with in the original, you will be right at home with OUATIC II. Again, the film sticks to Tsui Hark's elaborate style, both visually and thematically. Take notice of how elaborate the White Lotus ceremony scenes are or how chaotic the streets of Canton are. All true to Hark's style.

Overall, the themes in this film are not as heavy as the ones in the original. There are still some basic themes about (again) foreign influence, the value of time, abuse of power, and loyalty. The humor in this film is a little more blatant and more widely used. In particular, Foon's character is now very much a heavy source of comic relief, with his nervous crush on Aunt Yee and his goofy responses to new situations. The humor gives the film a slightly more lighthearted feel than the original, although some may argue that Foon has become more annoying than in the original. In the end, the style of the original comes through with flying colors again, but this film is certainly not quite as epic.

Performances from Jet Li and Rosumand Kwan are just as solid as the original. Jet Li still mantains the serious and wise demeanor of Wong Fei Hung, while Rosamund Kwan manages to truly convey her "western" style and her feelings toward Fei Hung. In this film, character development is much less of a focus, probabaly with expectation that the viewer is comfortable with the characters from viewing the original. Nonetheless, the performances from Li and Kwan are enough to show the personalities of their characters even to a viewer who has no experience with the original. Foon's character is certainly not up to par with the performance of Yuen Biao, who played him in the original. Still, the part is much more "silly" here and to that end the performance is more than adequate. All the other performances are solid with the exception, of course, of the foreign actors (who, as a rule, are almost always bad in HK films).

For many, the fight scenes in OUATIC II are some of the most memorable. We get to see two very noteworthy match-ups between Jet Li and Donnie Yen. These fights, in particular, are the highlights of the action in the film. The first, a stick fight in the middle of a bunch of poles, is very exciting and visually perfect. Yuen Woo Ping is at the helm of the fight scenes this time, and as always, he shows his stuff proudly. The style of the film's action stays much in line with that of the original - so if you liked the action there, you'll be happy here. The only complaint is that the balancing game with the tables, during the match up with the White Lotus, gets a little tiring after a while. I'm all for wire-fu - but at times, they can push a gag a little too far. Luckily, that is a small complaint and that match-up goes on to greater things far beyond the table balancing.

So, "Once Upon A Time In China II" is not as epic as the original. One certainly does not come out feeling as much inspiration as with the first. Nonetheless, Tsui Hark has weaved yet another excellent tale that should keep the viewers engaged and is certainly not hindered by the brilliant performances of the leads. Action is solid with the particularly memorable match between Li and Yen. So, any fan of the original should pick up this sequel immediately. It may not be quite as good as the original, but that is a hell of a legacy to live up to. OUATIC II is still heads above the rest of the pack and is a worthy follow-up to the groundbreaking original.

REVIEW:
Could Tsui Hark's modern retelling of the legend of Wong Fei Hung get any better? The answer is yes! This sequel to Once Upon a Time in China (1991) packs in even better fights thanks to choreography by Yuen Wo Ping, while retaining the details that made the first film so entertaining.

At the end of the 19th century, famed martial artist and doctor Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) arrives in Canton with his loyal attendant Foon (Max Mok) and love interest Aunt Yee (Rosamund Kwan) to attend a Western medical seminar. But, the streets are teeming with members of the White Lotus Cult, a religious group of extreme nationalists whose seemingly all-powerful leader (Hung Yan Yan) is stirring up his flock to kick all foreigners out of Canton. The medical seminar is interrupted by flaming arrows loosed from White Lotus members and Fei Hung decides to return home amid concerns over the growing violence. Yet, after hearing of trouble at a foreign language school, Fei Hung and his companions go to the aid of the young children which draws Fei Hung into a confrontation with the cult's leader who turns out to be a charlatan. Before leaving Canton, Fei Hung also assists a pair of rebels sought after by a local Chinese official (Donnie Yen). This leads to a fierce battle between the two martial arts masters.

The sheer level of master talent going into this picture may go unappreciated by general Western audiences, but fans know that having Tsui Hark, Yuen Wo Ping, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen all working together is a recipe for cinematic dynamite. And what a bang. This second entry in the OUATIC series that includes six films is generally regarded as the best and I must concur. I could banter around with various high points of the film, but I'll cut to the chase and just state the real reason -- choreography by Yuen Wo Ping. I'll be the first to admit I'm a shamelessly biased fan of Wo Ping's work, but the proof is in the pudding. Compare the fights in this film to any other in the series, especially the finale and you'll see. While all of the other films had great choreographers and memorable scenes, OUATIC II gels better than the rest and the impressive skills of Jet Li and Donnie Yen clashing is magnificent to behold. Yen's towel tossing scene is one of the greatest fights in film history while Jet Li's table-stacked bout with Hung Yan Yan is Wo Ping at his irreverently creative best.

Tsui Hark manages to revisit most of the first film's themes of nationalism, blind obsession, and sacrifice without appearing redundant. In fact, the undertone of the film is much more playful while dealing with the difficult Boxer Rebellion era in Chinese history which might be another influence by Wo Ping who has a tendency to be more playful with the action and characters when he's directing. The "foreigners" play less of a role in this film and the slave trade is replaced by a fight for Chinese democracy, a topic that was on many minds as 1997 and the handover of Hong Kong to Chinese rule drew near.

The casting provides an additional backbone to the film. Max Mok, who replaces Yuen Biao as Foon, Fei Hung's loyal companion provides fittingly boyish levity while veteran genre actor, David Chiang makes a welcome appearance as one of the rebels. Rosamund Kwan exudes wit and charm as Fei Hung's aunt (by marriage) who has a passionate love of the modern world and an even greater love for Fei Hung. Donnie Yen is perfectly cast as an intensely driven official who both admires and despises Fei Hung. Lastly, Jet Li continues to add his own take on the Fei Hung character portrayed by numerous actors before him. What Li manages to bring forth is an appealing combination of authority and awkwardness that he seems to play with ease, possibly reflecting a duality of his own personality.

For general Western audiences, I'd like to say that OUATIC II is a more accessible Hong Kong action film with it's balance of action, drama, and humor, but a characteristically flippant use of whimsically violent imagery within a real world setting may not appeal to sensitive viewers. But for sheer Hong Kong style bravado, this film delivers a visually jam-packed feast of stylized action within a historically-based tale that boldly echoes the concerns of today's society. Around here, we call that art...

Like many sequels, OUATIC2 isn't as good as the original. The plot is pretty much a rehash of the first, the characters really don't develop, the film is slow-moving in parts and it just doesn't look as good as OUATIC1. Not to mention that the majority of the excellent supporting cast from OUATIC1 (such as Yuen Biao) are nowhere to be found. But this movie is still damn good, mostly because the fight scenes are incredible. The last half-hour or so of OUATIC2 is simply phenomenal, with Li taking on the leader of the White Lotus and then Yen. It's highly exaggerated wire-fu; if you don't dig stuff like guys turning sheets into deadly weapons or trampolines, then you might want to look elsewhere. But if you like over-the-top action, this is the film for you. It rivals even Yuen Woo-Ping's Iron Monkey for the craziest fights put on film.

I normally wouldn't rate a movie so high just because of the fight scenes (honestly, some parts of the film are quite boring and depend too much on having seen the first film) but the ones in OUATIC2 are great enough to justify it. Jet Li is in peak form here and this is the role that had many people calling Donnie Yen the "next big thing" in HK action movies (a "promise" that, sadly, he has not fulfilled at all, instead doing mediocre films like Legend of the Wolf). If you're a wire-fu fan, you need to see this film.